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A tone troll is a terribly serious-minded person who wants only to raise the level of discussion in the dire cesspits of the New Atheist web. Or, possibly, they're a pompous blowhard who, lacking such frivolous accoutrements as an actual argument, attempts to distract attention from said deficit by complaining that their opposition uses dirty words and ought, really, to have some strict nanny figure--possibly Mary Poppins--to wash out their mouths with soap. It depends on who you ask.

More specifically, it generally depends on whether you ask the tone troll themselves.

Note that the presence of actual 'dirty words' in the traditional sense, while not uncommon on Pharyngula, aren't particularly necessary for the use of this gambit. It is also acceptable to complain your opposition is being shrill.

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